Elon Musk: The Model 3 Will Incorporate Tesla’s Solar Roof Technology

In Brief

Shortly after revealing Tesla’s new solar roof, CEO Elon Musk announced that the same technology will be incorporated into the company’s Model 3 car, expected for release in 2017.

While specifics haven’t been revealed, the technology could be perfect for use as a car’s windshield or roof as it could melt snow or defrost ice while still generating energy.

The Model 3 is feature-packed as it is, but Elon Musk just keeps dropping more details regarding Tesla’s forthcoming affordable electric car. In a conference call yesterday regarding Tesla’s merger with SolarCity, Musk said that the Model 3 will feature the same technology as the company’s recently unveiled solar roof.

During the call, Musk confirmed that Tesla now has a special glass division focused on developing the solar roof, a development that he had previously hinted at: “In case it wasn’t obvious with the announcement, Tesla has created a glass technology group with some really phenomenal people.”

Credit: Tesla

Musk also said that the division is “using a lot of techniques from the automotive glass business,” so it makes sense that he also confirmed during the call that Tesla would incorporate the same tech from their solar roof into their Model 3. While he didn’t say exactly how the tiles would be used on the car, he later shared some details via Twitter that could be clues to its incorporation.

Solar glass tiles can also incorporate heating elements, like rear defroster on a car, to clear roof of snow and keep generating energy

Apparently the tiles could contain heating elements that would allow a car to defrost snow while generating energy, making them an ideal material for a car’s windshield. This development shows how Tesla’s possible merger with SolarCity could be beneficial to the company as a whole and not just within the home energy division. Should the merger be successful, Tesla could become even more profitable while developing innovative technologies that are in line with its vision of a sustainable future.